Scarlet

Bright orange-tinged vivid red, like scarlet skirts swirling on dancing maidens

HEX#C83C23

RGBrgb(200, 60, 35)

HSLhsl(9, 70%, 46%)

HSVhsv(9, 83%, 78%)

CMYKcmyk(0%, 70%, 83%, 22%)

HEXA#C83C23FF

RGBArgba(200, 60, 35, 1)

HSLAhsla(9, 70%, 46%, 1)

OKLCHoklch(71.4%, 0.126, 38)

LCHlch(65.4%, 39.7, 46)

🎨 Color Palettes

Analogous2-3 adjacent hues (≤60°)

Triadic3 hues spaced 120° apart

Split ComplementaryMain color + colors adjacent to its complement

Complementary2 hues spaced 180° apart

Tetradic (Rectangle)4 hues forming a rectangle

MonochromaticSingle hue with varying saturation and lightness

♿ WCAG Contrast Colors

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Aa14px Body

High Contrast Text

#FFFFFFRatio 5.1:1AA

Suitable for body text, headings, and primary content, ensuring readability for all users

Aa14px Body

Standard Text

#F9EFDCRatio 4.5:1AA

Suitable for regular body content, meeting WCAG AA standards

Aa14px Body

Large Text / UI Components

#BAD425Ratio 3:1AA Large

Suitable for large text (≥18px bold or ≥24px), icons, UI component boundaries

Aa14px Body

Decorative / Dividers

#23C73CRatio 2.3:1Fail

Suitable for decorative elements, dividers, non-essential text

📊 Color Scales

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Lightness VariationFixed hue and saturation, proportional lightness scaling 30%→100%

#3D120B

#52190F

#6C2113

#822717

#982E1B

#B2351F

#C73C23

Saturation VariationFixed hue and lightness, proportional saturation scaling 40%→100%

#965E54

#9E594C

#A75344

#AF4D3C

#B74734

#BF422B

#C73C23

Lightness + Saturation Mixed VariationSimultaneous lightness and saturation proportional scaling

#2B1E1C

#3F2722

#572F28

#6F342A

#893829

#A93B28

#C73C23

Hue Fine-TuningFixed saturation and lightness, stepwise hue fine-tuning ±15°

#C72334

#C72326

#C72E23

#C73C23

#C74A23

#C75723

#C76523

💡 Use Cases

👘

Historical Costume Dramas

Primary tone for court and ladies’ garments in Tang-set productions, recreating the grandeur of the Tang Empire.

📜

Classical Literature

Visual translation of scarlet imagery in poetry and classics, bridging textual imagery and color perception.

🌸

Spring Design

Palette for spring-themed cultural merchandise and posters, conveying liveliness as all things revive.

🏮

Folk Festivities

Decorative color for temple fairs and lantern shows, crafting a bustling yet elegant folk atmosphere.

📜 Origin & History

Within traditional Chinese color systems, Scarlet refers to a brilliant warm red secondary to vermilion. The character “fei” derives from silk, originally meaning pale red silk fabric, an ancient term for textile dyeing.

Scarlet silks served as everyday formal wear for noble women in the Han Dynasty. The description of Luo Fu wearing scarlet robes and purple silk in *Mo Shang Sang* turned Scarlet into a literary synonym for beautiful women.

The Tang Dynasty marked Scarlet’s golden age. Under official rank dress codes, officials ranked fifth and above wore scarlet robes, known as “fei yi”, a symbol of thriving official careers. Tang poetry frequently evoked scarlet when depicting courts and banquets.

In the Song Dynasty, Scarlet returned from official circles to daily life. Scarlet long dresses and hair ornaments became fashionable in figure paintings; Song vernacular novels deployed Scarlet to depict the liveliness and vitality of urban women.

In modern times, Scarlet has been widely revived in historical costume dramas. Almost all Tang-era screen productions adopt scarlet tones, making this luminous warm red one of the most recognizable traditional Chinese hues for the public.

🧠 Color Psychology

Lively & RadiantScarlet resembles sunlight dancing in spring, carrying lightness and clarity that stirs the urge to dance.

Youthful VitalityScarlet belongs to young lives, with less gravity and greater freedom to love and hate without restraint.

Friendly & WarmMore approachable than primary red, Scarlet bears the familiarity of a girl next door, putting people at ease.

Uplifting SpiritScarlet’s brightness delivers positive psychological cues, acting as a visual remedy to dispel gloom.

Romantic & SentimentalAncient poets wove spring affections into depictions of scarlet; this color serves as the perfect vessel for romantic sentiments.

Unrestrained SpiritUnlike rigid formal red, Scarlet encourages people to seek their own palette beyond established rules.

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